Take Me Away To England
by edowayne
Summary: Eva didn't expect a lot of things to happen to her that did. Like, getting a boyfriend, said boyfriend being a wizard, like her, moving to England and being the only one capable of assisting her boyfriend in his attempt to kill the Dark Lord, Voldemort. No, she certainly didn't expect all that to happen. But they did. Her boyfriend was just lucky he had adorable forest green eyes.
1. Chapter 1

"We are _not_ talking about this now," I say this with a sulk in my voice and a pout on my lips.

"Well, we're going to have to talk about it sometime." Harry says, trying to reason with me.

I give an exasperated sigh and roll my eyes. "Listen, I like you. But I just can't see myself in a long distance relationship. We're going to lose interest in each other. We're going to_ have_ different interests from each other. We should just break it off now because it's not like you know if you're even going to be coming back."

Harry didn't say anything for a while and when I sneaked a look at him, his jaw was clenched and his eyes were shut. I would have said something but he opened them a second later when the lights turned green. They weren't as green as Harry's eye's though. His eyes were gorgeous. With a sigh, I turned away from his face lest he catch me staring at him.

This was why I swore to never have a summer fling as long as I continued to live in the state of Georgia. 9 out of 10 of the people you hook up with, would leave by the time summer would be over. Harry lived in England so that meant paying for phone cards too. It's too bad because I could actually see myself with him for a long time.

Soft snoring in the background reminded me of my 2-year-old brother, Dev, who was sleeping in his car seat. Harry was driving us back to our house in Acworth from the carnival (and his hotel) in Atlanta.

We were in a tunnel when a huge metal wall came down, blocking everyone from the exit. A few people continued driving and ended up crashing into the wall or into other drivers. A voice with a heavy french accent vibrated suddenly throughout the entire tunnel.

"Everyone _en_ this tunnel is randomly being _vérifié_ for arsenal. You will be asked for I.D if we find _pistolet _in your possession. If a gun is found in your possession... well..._ vol de mort_."

A few people who obviously had guns with no permit ran from their cars. Harry sat as if stunned for a few seconds before diving into the backseat where my brother was and reached underneath the seat and got out a shimmering silver cloak which he threw over himself after placing Dev on his lap.

"I swear I'll explain later but you need to come underneath this cloak with us." He stared at me with a pleading look as if afraid I wouldn't heed him.

I stared back before opening my door. I heard Harry yell my name while I reached over and opened his door too. I crawled to the back to open the door where the car seat was and put Dev on my lap while crawling into Harry's lap. I heard Harry's soft gush of relief as I rested my head on the junction between his neck and shoulder. It was silent, except for doors slamming, cars honking and people yelling, for a while before I spoke.

"Your last name is Potter instead of Porter, right? That's why you went all 'get under the cloak' when he said Voldemort." I felt him stiffen underneath me.

"I suppose you should know that I can do magic too." To prove it to him, I said '_Impendo' _and we both watched as his invisibility cloak expanded to fit all of us without my legs all bunched up on Harry's lap. His eyes widened slightly before he turned to look at me.

"How did you do that without a wand?"

"I guess it's true what they say about Europeans. You aren't allowed to use magic outside of school and you only start using magic at the age of 11, right? For us, we start learning how to control our magic when we start showing signs of being magical so we're used to not using wands except for the really hard sh-stuff."

I could tell Harry had something else he wanted to say but a man with spiky hair, beady eyes and sunken cheeks. Overall; very unattractive. Dev, of course, chooses this time to wake up. Normally, I love watching him wake up because he just looks so cute, but when he wakes up he always got something to say and since we're supposed to be invisible that's not very ideal now.

I look Dev in the eye, put my finger to my lips and wink at him. This was my sign that we were going to play the Silent Game. He looked confused but fortunately he kept quiet. I held my breath until the man walked away with an almost... frightened look in his eyes. Probably scared that his master would be mad that he hadn't found the ever elusive Harry Potter.

I turned toward Harry to ask him what we would do now but stopped when I saw the weird look in his eyes that said he just realized something.

"Your middle name is Marie, isn't it?"

"You already knew that. Why does that even-?"

"There was a prophecy that said the one who would be able to surpass the skills of the Dark Lord approaches with hair like ebony, skin like chocolate, the grace of a lioness, a past as troubled as the war and a middle name akin to Mary. It said that person was the only one who would able to help me when I go against Voldemort."

I blinked a few times and was quiet for a couple beats.

"Damn. You just going to lay all that on me like that." I heard Dev giggling before he remembered he was supposed to stay silent. I smiled at him with the love my mother should have smiled at him with. _Troubled past?_ I thought, _More like troubled past, present and future. _I could see Harry looking at me expectantly out of the corner of my eye. I sighed before answering.

"Harry, you do know that you're asking me to leave my home and family to backpack to Europe with you to people I don't even know?" I hurried on before he could interrupt, "Come to my place before you leave and take me with you if I'm all packed."

The same voice echoed throughout the tunnel. "We are _fini_ with our search. _Merci_ _pour votre_ _coopération._"

Harry and I untangled ourselves from each other quietly. I buckled Dev back into his car seat and Harry closed the doors. By the time he started driving again I could tell that the mood had turned somber. The tension in the air was palpable. I sighed before turning to look out the window.

It's going to be a long car ride.

* * *

Harry gently shook me awake in what it felt like seconds later but in reality was about 10 minutes. I got Dev from the back, who also managed to fall back asleep.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Harry muttered while averting his eyes. I bit back a curse before caressing Harry's face with my free hand and kissing his lightly chapped lips.

"You **will** see me tomorrow. You still have to say goodbye to Dev since he's still asleep now." He looked at me imploring.

"Just... think about it."

There seemed to be a lump in my throat so I just nodded. He pecked my cheek before climbing into his car and driving away. I watched him until I couldn't anymore and took a deep breath while turning towards my house. Just like always, a shiver of trepidation went down my spine. I don't think the decision I was going to make was going to be hard at all. A chance to get away from my mother would always be a chance I was willing to take. I just had to figure out a way to bring my baby because with me gone, no one would take care of him.

Each step I took that brought me closer to the front door gave me a stronger sense of foreboding until I finally made it to the door. When I turned the knob I felt Dev moving in my arms which led me to believe that he was waking up. My speculation turned out to be right as I saw him sleepily rub his light brown eyes with his cute little mulatto fists.

"G'mornin, baby," he yawned. He'd taken to calling me my endearment for everyone I liked**/**knew. I echoed him with a smile that quickly turned into a barely suppressed grimace as I caught sight of my mother. She came at me with a smile and a hug.

"Hey, sweetie! Did you have a good day?" She turned towards my baby and cooed, "How about you, how was your day today?"

She looked around pseudo surreptitiously. "Where's Harry?"

"Not here," I replied shortly. She immediately dropped her act.

"Then what the hell do you want?" Yep. There she was.

"I want to tell you that I want to be emancipated now that I'm 15 and the money in the will Daddy left can be activated." She was silent for a few beats.

"Deuces, bitch." Really feeling the love.

"Also, I'm taking Devon with me." She eyed me for a few seconds to make sure I was serious.

"Why are you still here? Go pack and leave. I'm having a party tonight!"

As I walked up the stairs I shook my head at how easy that was. I thought for sure she would put up a fight once she saw this was what I wanted to do. I guess her joy was more important than my misery. I turned to my oblivious baby and smiled.

"We're going with Harry to England where everybody has those crazy sexy accents! Isn't that great?" As soon as he heard Harry's name he cheered so the rest of the sentence was lost on him. I sighed as I put all my and Dev's things in two separate bags that minimized to fit comfortably in the palm of my hands all with a wiggle of my hips and a snap of my fingers. I just love magic sometimes.

* * *

After Harry, Dev and I returned the rental car, I turned toward Harry. "Where are your relatives?"

"Oh, they left already. They didn't want to be seen with me in front all those people." I rolled my eyes at their negligence toward their nephew.

"So I can apparate, right?"

"I'm still surprised that you can even apparate long distance."

"Babe, you need to realize that Americans are considered more advanced in wizardry, altogether, not because of talent, but because we start **everything** before anyone else." Harry nodded with a still awed expression.

With a soft pop, we apparated to London near Harry's godfather's house, Grimmauld Place. Since Harry had already told Dev and I about the house in detail so we could see it after we apparated.

It was rather...grim. Which was slightly ironic since it's called **Grim**mauld Place but whatever. As we walked towards the door, Dev started whimpering. When we walked into the hallway where we started to hear voices, tears started forming in his eyes. Harry looked over at me considerately.

"Look, I'm going to announce my presence and everyone will be surprised 'Harry's back pop champagne' and you're going to stay hear and calm your brother down and then come in after I introduce you. That cool?" I nod since I'm too busy calming down Dev to deal with something as mundane as words.

As Harry walks away and towards the shouts of 'Harry! Somebody go pop champagne!' I shake my head that Harry was serious about the champagne popping and rock my baby in my arms and sing his favorite song. Or, the song that always seems to calm him down.

_Share my life, take me for what I am__  
__'Cause I'll never change all my _colours_ for you__  
__Take my love, I'll never ask for too much__  
__Just all that you are and everything that you do_

"So you guys remember that prophecy about the one with the powers to help defeat Voldemort..."

_I don't really need to look very much further__  
__I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow__  
__I won't hold it back again, this passion inside__  
__Can't run from myself__  
__There's nowhere to hide_

"She's _here_! Harry, that's great...!"

_Don't make me close one more door  
I don't wanna hurt anymore  
Stay in my arms if you dare  
Or must I imagine you there  
Don't walk away from me  
I have nothing  
If I don't have you_

"What do you mean her baby! She's only 15...!"

_You see through right to the heart of me  
You break down my walls with the strength of your love  
I never knew love like I've known it with you  
Will a memory survive, one I can hold on to_

"She sounds hot... did you bag her yet..."

_I don't really need to look very much further  
I don't wanna have to go where you don't follow  
I won't hold it back again, this passion inside  
I can't run from myself  
There's nowhere to hide  
Your love I'll remember forever_

"What do you mean she's your girlfriend... do you know how long I've been waiting for you, for _us_... what do you mean _kind of._ Are _using_ her...!"

_Don't make me close one more door__  
__I don't wanna hurt anymore__  
__Stay in my arms if you dare__  
__Or must I imagine you there__  
__Don't walk away from me__  
__I have nothing_

"Lucky I made too much beds... why don't you go get her..."

_Don't make me close one more door__  
__I don't wanna hurt anymore__  
__Stay in my arms if you dare__  
__Or must I imagine you there__  
__Don't walk away from me, no.__  
__Don't walk away from me__  
__Don't you dare walk away from me__  
__I have nothing__  
__If I don't have you__  
__If I don't have you_

Harry comes back with weird look on his face.

"Okay. They want to meet you. They also love your voice. I didn't know you can sing."

As we walk towards where Harry disappeared to, in a haughty tone I say, "Everyone can sing. Some just aren't good at it. Like you, for instance."

He chuckles as 9 people come into view. 1 woman, 3 men, 2 girls and 3 boys. 6 had hair like Scarlett Johansson from The Avengers, which made me assume they were the Weasely's. What cemented this assumption was that there were twins in that bunch. I saw curly, dark brown hair controlled by a hair band on the head of a kind of pretty girl. She was like... an acquired taste. One man I saw had a roguishly handsome face and the other had a sweet handsome face. If that makes sense.

They all looked at me until the red-headed woman came bustling over reaching for my baby and started cooing at him. I turned slightly so she couldn't get to him and put on my poker face.

"I don't know you. Don't touch my baby."

"Your brother, you mean-"

"If that's what I meant, then I would have said it."

"Well..alright then. This is my daughter, Ginevr-"

"I already know who everyone is, thank you." Her daughter spoke up, obviously angry for one reason or another.

"Who do you think you are-"

"My name is Eva Marie Oboniwich. I already know who you are, or else I wouldn't care. You were always my least favorite character. Can I go to my room now?"

* * *

_en_: in

_vérifié_: checked

_pistolet_: gun

_Vol de mort_: Flight of death

_Impendo_: Expand

_fini_: finished

_Merci_ _pour votre_ _coopération_: Thank you for your cooperation


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I woke up confused as to where my baby and I were. A soft scuffling noise clued me in that Dev was curled around my stomach and a sudden rush of clarity accompanied with remembrance reminded me that I was in Grimmauld Place with Harry in London after I'd been emancipated where I proceeded to be rude to Molly and her daughter. I groaned loudly, causing Dev to make a fuss before going back to sleep. I hate saying sorry and I hate being rude because then people always try to start something with me. I prefer being extremely nice, getting mad and then practically see people thinking _'Whoa. She never gets mad. I obviously crossed some sort of line.' _Yep. I'm Slytherin like that.

I cast a _tempus_ spell and saw that it was 8:35. I figured that no one was awake since I heard no noise coming from the other side of the door where at least 14 other people were. I decided to primp and make breakfast for Dev and I. My mom could cook like a professional chef, but she hates cooking for other people so I learned by copying her the best I could, seeing as she hated me. I turned toward Dev with a smile.

"We're never going to see Debil again. Isn't that great?" He gave me a sleepy smile.

(~)_(~)

When Molly came down the stairs, we had already finished our french toast. She started when she saw us.

"Good morning."

"What are you doing down here?" How completely rude.

"Eating breakfast. What are _you _doing down here?"

"Why didn't you make some for everyone? If you say that it's because you think I like to cook all the time-"

"I didn't know what anyone else liked." As I was saying this, I was magically washing the dishes and carrying Dev around to keep him awake since he wasn't used to the different time zone yet. Molly and I stayed silent throughout the time she spent cooking. When she was done, I turned to look at Dev in the eyes.

"Okay, Dev. This is the moment of truth. You need to go to every single room you see and wake everyone up. When you wake Harry up, make him stay with you so you don't get lost." Dev looked at me with his wide, innocent, doe-like eyes.

"Wakey wakey? Find Hawwy to make stay?" I smiled. Babies were the best at simplifying things.

"Exactly." The minute I set him down he went running up the stairs screaming _'Wakey wakey! Hawwy where you?'_ Sometimes I wish I were a baby.

A few minutes later, I heard a loud yell and a thud. Almost immediately later I heard Dev shouting.

"No! Leggo o' me! I gotta find Hawwy first! We can play later!" Seriously doubting that whoever it was wanted to play, I apparated to the spot where I heard all the commotion happening. I saw a teenaged boy holding Dev and his twin looking at them with amused confusion. When I appeared, he lifted his eyebrows.

"I take it this is your baby, then?" When I saw that he wasn't a threat, I smiled.

"You could say that."

"I'm George."

"I'm Fred," his twin piped in.

"I'm Eva."

"I Dev!"

"I'm tired." We looked toward the last voice who turned out to be Harry rubbing his eyes and yawning. Dev immediately stopped squirming and turned toward George.

"I find Hawwy! We can play now!"

(~)_(~)

By the time it was 11 o'clock and everyone was awake and had eaten, I decided to explore London since I'd never been. I didn't take Dev since he was too preoccupied playing with the twins. Harry came up to me in the middle of his chess game with Ron.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm in London. I normally live in America. I'm going sightseeing." I said this the same way I would talk to a particularly slow person. He seemed to be indecisive over something.

"At least... you should bring Hermione with you since she was practically born and raised in London. Plus, I don't want you to get lost."

1 hour and 30 minutes later, Hermione and I were completely immersed in London with absolutely nothing to say. It started bothering me after we passed the second bookstore without going in. I liked books just like all the other average bookworms and this just wasn't okay. I decided to ask a question that had bothered me for ages.

"How was J. K. Rowling able to write down Harry's entire life story? And how come no one acts exactly how they're supposed to?" She seemed to look at me with appraisal in her gaze as if surprised I could think that far ahead.

"J. K. Rowling was a seer who saw the defeater of a dark lord. She wanted to help the Wizarding World by letting them know that a saviour was coming. She wanted to help the saviour by letting them know the mistakes they shouldn't repeat. You know the books made Harry born in 1980 which would make him 34 turning 35, when in fact, he's 14 turning 15.

"Also, not everything in the books are true. The Slytherins aren't actually that bad, but you know that in every good book, there's an antagonist. The Hufflepuffs aren't so weak and the Ravenclaws aren't really that stiff and studious. I'm even a Ravenclaw myself. That in itself goes to show how much she changed the story. To put it simply, everything in the story is exaggerated."

I was struck dumb for a few minutes. "You're not Gryffindor?! That explains so much, you don't even understand." She did a cross between a chuckle and a sigh, as if she got that all the time. I smiled at her and was about to say something else when I spied a bookstore out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm getting sick and tired of walking past these bookstores without getting something." She smirked in a way I'd never thought Harry Potter's best friend, Hermione Granger, could smirk in. However, it seemed plausible that Harry's friend, Hermione, could smirk that way.

"Spoken like a true Ravenclaw. Professor Flitwick would be proud."

(~)_(~)

By the time we got back, everybody had just finished dinner. When we walked through the door, giggling about the latest 50 Shades book, Molly immediately pounced on us.

"Where have you two been?! Don't you know that it's dangerous out there! And you! How dare you force Hermione to leave this house to go shopping with you. You should be ashamed of yourself."

I was about to swear at her but Hermione came to my defense.

"Mrs. Weasley, Eva didn't make me do any thing I didn't want to do. I left of my own free will and I'm sorry to have worried you."

"Oh. Well, at least eat something. Why she made you stay out so long is unfathomable-"

"Mrs. Weasley! We already ate in the mall. The reason we stayed so long is because we saw a movie which _I_ made her watch. If you would refrain from blaming everything on Eva, I would be most thankful."

Mrs. Weasley walked away, obviously speechless at the way Hermione snapped at her. I was a little speechless myself.

"Why do you talk like an eighteenth century woman when you're angry?" Her face went even more red from embarrassment.

"I read it in a book." I don't think I laughed that hard since I came to London.

(~)_(~)

"I can tell you had fun." I smiled and took out my headphones as Harry made himself known in my room.

"How? Am I glowing?"

"No, but cute. I could tell by the sheer amount of bags you have."

"You better not be making fun of me. I just wanted to get in style."

"Yeah, yeah. What song were you listening to?"

"Nothing you would know."

"Funny how every time you say that I end up knowing the song." I snickered because I only ever said that twice and unplugged the headphones from my I-Pod so the soft crooning of Marques Houston's voice could be heard.

_The further I go, the closer I get back to you, _

_I say I moved on til I'm reminded of you, _

_Can somebody help me? _

_Help me get out of this circle, out of this circle._

Harry seemed to be thinking as I plugged in the headphones and pressed pause. "You're right, I've never heard that song before in my life. Can I sleep here?"

I blinked at the sudden change of subject. Harry used to always come over in the middle of the night and i wouldn't realize until I woke up. "Why?"

He smiled in what was supposed to be an innocent face. "I want to make sure Dev has as many familiar faces as possible when he falls asleep."

I looked at Harry, down at Dev, who was sleeping peacefully in my lap, and back at Harry. He rolled his eyes.

"Can I sleep here or not?"

"Sure," I reply as I put my stuff away and lay Dev on his side, next to me. "You can sleep on the other side of Dev so he can have a familiar face on either side of him," I continued when I saw Harry come towards my side of the bed. Harry's put-upon face made me laugh hard enough to think that maybe I actually am supposed to be here.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything's fuzzy. I look for my extra pair of glasses I always kept handy when my contacts fall out. As everything came into focus, I saw that the ever elusive Sirius Black, that I hadn't seen since the first night, was holding Dev by his leg with a disgusted look on his face.

"What the hell?! What's wrong with yo-"

He dropped him. He dropped Dev. He dropped my baby. My baby. He seemed to fall for a while. Before I heard his cries cut off. My eyes snapped open.

I looked to one side. I saw Harry sleeping, somehow moving on my side, to cuddle me in the night. I looked to the other side. I saw Dev sleeping peacefully with his thumb in his mouth. I breathed out a sigh I didn't realize I was holding. Tomorrow, I was going to get to know Sirius Black, I decided, and he was going to be my best friend so my dream will never come true.

(~)_(~)

I woke up to Harry and Dev gone. I looked around blearily, until my eyes rested on Ginny, who had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her lips.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Of course there is! I'm only telling you once, you bird, stay away from Harry!" I stared at her for a few seconds, knowing that people called other people birds all the time and confused as to whether I should be offended or amused.

"Sorry, I'm new to England, is calling me a bird supposed to be an insult?" She gave a sort of feminine growl.

"Harry and I are supposed to be married-"

"_Sólo quiero dormir. ¿Por qué no ella me deja dormir?" _I groaned.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't care! Go marry him! Just don't forget to let him know that I can't date someone who's married and he should give me back my baby." She smirked smugly, as if she won something.

"Thank you. That's all I wanted. Maybe we can be friends now." She smiled and left.

Finally. Peace and quiet. Utter bliss. Uninterrupted sleep-

"You told Ginny that you couldn'tcare less about me?" Goddammit. I spoke too soon.

"Yes, Harry. I hate you. I hope you rot in hell. Now come back to bed." I heard Dev babbling over nothing, to no one. That kid is so lucky that he's cute or someone would have hurt him by now.

"Actually, I want to talk to you." My groan didn't deter him from his goal. "You- before we left you said that we should break up. Are we- did you- did you mean that?" I sat up and looked him straight in the eye.

"I just broke up with you because you were going back to England. Since I'm here with you, there's nothing that compels me to break up with you. Unless, of course you really are getting married to Ginny. In which case, kindly place the baby next to me and leave."

(~)_(~)

I took a deep breath. With one hand holding firmly onto the hand of a three year old baby who was happily munching on apple slices, I used the other to knock on Sirius Black's door. I was starting to create a really funky beat, using both hands now, before Sirius came from down the hall. He quirked an eyebrow at me.

"I'm not exactly sure what I should do. Should I open the door, close it and then open it again or should I just open the door and allow you to come in?" I raised one corner of my mouth.

"You should do whatever pleases me." He shook his head as if expecting that from me, a person he just officially met.

"Not meaning to be rude, but is there a reason why you've graced me with your presence?" I smiled.

"You're Harry's godfather. He cares a lot about you and I care a lot about Harry. It's just common interest." This time, _he_ smiled.

(~)_(~)

I went downstairs with Sirius after going all psychological on his ass, talking about Peter and his time in Azkaban, to see Harry getting accosted by two owls that kept trying to fix his hair. Funny.

When I walked fully into the room, the birds instantly flocked away from me. Owls all seem to hate me. Probably because I pooped in one owl's nest when I was 4. It kept staring at me, though. I refused to apologize. I turned my attention towards Harry.

"What do the letters say?"

He scoffed. "Read it yourself," he said, holding it out to me. I slid into Harry's lap and cuddled into his chest. He put his face on my shoulder.

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

**_We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle._**

**_The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._**

**_Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand._**

**_As you have already received an official warning for a previous offence under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on the twelfth of August._**

**_Hoping you are well,_**

**_Yours sincerely,_**

**_Mafalda Hopkirk_**

**_Improper Use of Magic Office_**

**_Ministry of Magic_**

The other one said,

**_Dear Mr. Potter,_**

**_Further to our letter of approximately twenty-two minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary hearing on the twelfth of August, at which time an official decision will be taken._**

**_Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided at that time. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further enquiries._**

**_With best wishes,_**

**_Yours sincerely,_**

**_Mafalda Hopkirk_**

**_Improper Use of Magic Office_**

**_Ministry of Magic_**

"What a load of bullshit."

I heard Molly's intake of breath before she got ready to launch into her tirade. I turned to face Harry in his lap so as to continue talking.

"Why are they penalizing you for something you didn't do? I mean, you were in America." He sighed, while resting his hands on my hips, as if that's the same question he asked himself everyday.

"The Ministry believes that the books were made, given to us, because of fate and we need to follow everything from the book as if it's law. If you don't they will act as if you have to keep things as 'natural' as possible. Hogwarts and The Order of The Phoenix believe the books were made so we know what we need to do to make sure we win and what measures to take to avoid things. Voldemort and his Death Eaters are taking measures to ensure that they will win now that they know they'll lose, which is the main reason why almost all the citizens of magical Britain hate the Ministry."

I was about to go on my own tirade when Dev's babbling about being able to count up to 12 made me notice the date.

"Harry... what's the date?"

"August 12, why- they really did that?"

"Yes they did. We gotta bounce."

(~)_(~)

After a fight with Molly, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, it was decided that I should go with since the Ministry wouldn't know me and would cause a greater stir.

I walked with Harry into the huge room and suddenly felt like letting Ginny come instead of me, just to escape the thousands of eyes peering down at me, from 12 feet high.

**A cold male voice rang across the courtroom.**

"**You're late."**

**I leaned in to whisper into Harry's ear. "Didn't they already know this because of the book?"**

**Harry whispered back, "Yeah, but the books are pretty much a script for the Ministry and everyone in it must follow it or be fired. Even Dumbledore does it. It gets really annoying sometimes."**

"**That is not the Wizengamot's fault," said the man talking, who I took to be Minister Fudge. **"**An owl was sent to you this morning. Take your seat."**

**"He does know that you didn't even answer him, right?" He gave me a wry smile.**

**"Welcome to the Ministry."**

**Harry and I walked calmly to the center where there was a single chair.**

**Our footsteps echoed loudly as we walked across the stone floor. When he sat on the edge of the chair, the chains clinked harmlessly, I sat on his lap, leaning back into his chest. We looked up at the people seated at the bench above. **

**My earlier estimate of thousands of eyes appeared to be inaccurate, as there seemed to be about fifty of them, all, as far as I could see, wearing plum-colored robes with an elaborately worked silver W on the left-hand side of the chest and all staring down their noses at us, clearly gaping but not wanting to break scene.**

**In the very middle of the front row sat Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic. Fudge was a portly man, his face turning red in the effort to not question me, I suppose. I could tell he would get on my nerves. A broad, square-jawed witch with very short, grey hair sat on Fudge's left; she wore a monocle and looked like she had better places to be.**

**On Fudge's right was another witch, but she was sitting so far back on the bench that her face was in shadow. There was a beat of silence where no one said anything, gauging what my presence meant. Harry nuzzled his face into my neck. I tried to hold it in but I giggled. The sound seemed to snap everyone out of there daze.**

"**Very well," Fudge finally said. "The accused being present - finally - let us begin. Are you ready?" he called down the row.**

"**Yes, sir," said an eager voice. I could tell he was one of the Weasely's, Percy. He was sitting at the very end of the front bench.**

**I could feel Harry roll his eyes into my neck.**

"**Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August," said Fudge in a ringing voice, and Percy began taking notes at once, "into offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.**

"**Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley -"**

"**Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," said a quiet voice from behind me. I jumped from the suddenness and Harry laughed at me.**

**Dumbledore was striding serenely across the room wearing long midnight-blue robes and a perfectly calm expression. I think he was using a charm to come off like this.**

**The members of the Wizengamot were muttering. All eyes were now on Dumbledore. They all played their parts well. Some looked annoyed, others slightly frightened; two elderly witches in the back row even raised their hands and waved in welcome. I don't think the book ever mentioned who they were.**

"**Ah," said Fudge, who looked thoroughly disconcerted. "Dumbledore. Yes. You - er - got our – er - message that the time and -er - place of the hearing had been changed, then?"**

"**I must have missed it," said Dumbledore cheerfully…"However, due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done."**

"**Yes - well - I suppose we'll need another chair - I - Weasley, could you -?"**

"**Not to worry, not to worry," said Dumbledore pleasantly; he took out his wand, gave it a little flick, and a squashy chintz armchair appeared right next to us. Dumbledore sat down, put the tips of his piano fingers together and surveyed Fudge over them with an expression of polite interest. The Wizengamot was still muttering and fidgeting restlessly; only when Fudge spoke again did they settle down.**

"**Yes," said Fudge again, shuffling his notes. "Well, then. So. The charges. Yes."**

**He extricated a piece of parchment from the pile before him, took a deep breath, and read out,**

**"The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on the second of August at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.**

"**You are Harry James Potter, of number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?" Fudge said, seemingly ignoring me and glaring at Harry over the top of his parchment.**

**"No," I answered, just to see the reaction I'd get. Fudge seemed to turn a nice fuchsia color before going on as if nothing happened.**

"**You received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?"**

**"Whatever," Harry muttered even though he didn't have to since Fudge just plowed on.**

"**And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the second of August?" said Fudge.**

"Whatever.**"**

"**Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen?"**

"That's what you think.**"**

"**Knowing that you were in an area full of Muggles?" The members looked as if they were ready to start hexing us both.**

"I wasn't even in England.**"**

"**Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a Muggle at the time?"**

**"Are we even sure about that?"**

**The witch with the monocle cut across him in a booming voice and a sympathetic eye. I could tell that she was one of the few in the Ministry who wanted to use the books as something to help win the war.**

"**You produced a fully-fledged Patronus?"**

"Yes. Yes, I did.**"**

"**A corporeal Patronus?"**

"Didn't we already acknowledge this?**"**

"**Your Patronus had a clearly defined form? I mean to say, it was more than vapour or smoke?"**

"That's what corporeal means**."**

"**Always?" Madam Bones spoke with a yawn. "You have produced a Patronus before now?"**

"Funny story, actually..**."**

"**And you are fifteen years old?"**

"No, I'm 21.**"**

"**You learned this at school?"**

"Actually at the park.**"**

"**Impressive," said Madam Bones, staring down at him, holding in a smirk, "a true Patronus at his age… very impressive indeed."**

**Some of the wizards and witches around her were muttering again; a few nodded, but others were frowning and shaking their heads. I was nonstop giggling, Harry smiling as he kissed my neck. **

"**It's not a question of how impressive the magic was," said Fudge in a testy voice, "in fact, the more impressive the worse it is, I would have thought, given that the boy did it in plain view of a Muggle!"**

**Those who had been frowning now murmured in agreement, but it was the sight of Percy's sanctimonious little nod that goaded me into giving him the finger. He had a put upon face before remembering his role.**

"**Dementors?" said Madam Bones after a moment, her thick eyebrows rising until her monocle looked in danger of falling out. "What do you mean, boy?"**

"**I mean that the dementors were supposed to give me one of their robes."**

**Fudge seemed to finally explode, before taking a deep breath and getting back into character. The Ministry of Magic have wonderful actors in their midst. I would definitely pay for a show.**

"**Ah," said Fudge again, smirking unpleasantly as he looked around at the Wizengamot, as though inviting them to share the joke. **"**Yes. Yes, I thought we'd be hearing something like this."**

"**Dementors in Little Whinging?" Madam Bones said, in a tone of great, false surprise. "I don't understand -"**

"**Don't you, Amelia?" said Fudge, still smirking. "Let me explain. He's been thinking it through and decided Dementors would make a very nice little cover story, very nice indeed. Muggles can't see Dementors, can they, boy? Highly convenient, highly convenient… so it's just your word and no witnesses…"**

"He's right. Harry is am lying. Lock him up boys.**" I said loudly, over another outbreak of muttering from the court and narrowed eyes towards me. **

"**Enough, enough!" said Fudge, with a very constipated look on his face. "I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure would have been a very well-rehearsed story -"**

**"Speaking of rehearsed, how long did it take you to memorize ****_all_**** of these lines?"**

**Dumbledore cleared his throat. The Wizengamot fell silent again.**

"**We do, in fact, have a witness to the presence of Dementors in that alleyway," he said, "other than Dudley Dursley, I mean."**

**"Of course he can't be a witness, it never happened." These people were really good at ignoring Harry.**

**Fudge's plump face seemed to slacken, as though somebody had let air out of it. He stared down at Dumbledore for a moment or two, then, with the appearance of a man pulling himself back together, said, "We haven't got time to listen to more tarradiddles, I'm afraid, Dumbledore. I want this dealt with quickly -"**

"**I may be wrong," said Dumbledore pleasantly, "but I am sure that under the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, the accused has the right to present witnesses for his or her case? Isn't that the policy of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madam Bones?" he continued, addressing Madam Bones.**

"**True," said Madam Bones. "Perfectly true."**

"**Oh, very well, very well," snapped Fudge. "Where is this person?"**

"**I brought her with me," said Dumbledore. "She's just outside the door. Should I -?"**

"**No — Weasley, you go," Fudge barked at Percy, who got up at once, ran down the stone steps from the judge's balcony and hurried past Dumbledore, Harry and I with only glancing at me for a brief amount of time.**

**A moment later, Percy returned, followed by Mrs. Figg. She looked scared and slightly crazy. The slippers she wore made me burst out laughing. She gave me a disgruntled look.**

**Dumbledore stood up and gave Mrs. Figg his chair, conjuring a second one for himself.**

"**Full name?" said Fudge loudly, when Mrs. Figg had perched herself nervously on the very edge of her seat.**

"**Arabella Doreen Figg," said Mrs. Figg in a quavery voice.**

"**And who exactly are you?" said Fudge, in a bored and lofty voice.**

"**I'm a resident of- of Little Whinging, close to wh- where Harry Potter lives," said Mrs. Figg, fumbling over her lines.**

"**We have no record of any witch or wizard living in Little Whinging, other than Harry Potter," said Madam Bones after a while, looking dead on her feet. "That situation has always been closely monitored, given… given past events."**

"**I'm a Squib," said Mrs. Figg. "So you wouldn't have me registered, w- would you?"**

"**A Squib, eh?" said Fudge, eyeing her closely. "We'll be checking that. You'll leave details of your parentage with my assistant Weasley. Incidentally, can Squibs see Dementors?" he added, looking left and right along the bench.**

"**Y- yes, we can!" said Mrs. Figg in supposed indignation.**

**Fudge looked back down at her, his eyebrows raised. "Very well," he said aloofly. "What is your story?"**

"**I had gone out to buy cat food from the corner shop at the end of Wisteria Walk, around about nine o'clock, on the evening of the second of August," gabbled Mrs. Figg at once, as though she had learned what she was saying by heart, "when I heard a disturbance down the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. On approaching the mouth of the alleyway, I saw Dementors running -"**

"**Running?" said Madam Bones sharply. "Dementors don't run, they glide."**

"**That's what I meant to say," said Mrs. Figg quickly, with no patches of pink appearing in her withered cheeks. "Gliding along the alley towards what looked like two boys."**

"**What did they look like?" said Madam Bones, forgetting to narrow her eyes so that the edge of the monocle disappeared into her flesh.**

"**Well, one was very large and the other one rather skinny -"**

"**No, no," said Madam Bones impatiently. "The Dementors… describe them."**

"**Oh," said Mrs. Figg, the pink flush finally creeping up her neck now. "They were big. Big and wearing cloaks."**

**Whatever Mrs. Figg might say, it sounded to me as if she never even saw a dementor.**

**In the second row, a dumpy wizard with a large black moustache leaned close to whisper in the ear of his neighbor, a frizzy-haired witch. She smirked and nodded.**

"**Big and wearing cloaks," repeated Madam Bones dimly, while Fudge snorted derisively. "I see. Anything else?"**

"**Yes," said Mrs. Figg. "I felt them. Everything went cold, and this was a very warm summer's night, mark you. And I felt… as though all happiness had gone from the world… and I remembered… dreadful things…" Her voice shook and died.**

**Madam Bones's eyes widened comically.**

"**What did the Dementors do?" she asked.**

"**They went for the boys," said Mrs. Figg, her voice stronger and more confident now, remembering her lines. "One of them had fallen. The other was backing away, trying to repel the Dementor. That was Harry. He tried twice and produced only silver vapour. On the third attempt, he produced a Patronus, which charged down the first Dementor and then, with his encouragement, chased the second one away from his cousin. And that that is what happened," Mrs. Figg finished, very lamely.**

**Madam Bones looked down at Mrs. Figg in silence. Fudge was not looking at her at all, but fidgeting with his papers. Finally, he raised his eyes and said, rather aggressively, "That's what you saw, is it?"**

"**That is what happened," Mrs. Figg repeated.**

"**Very well," said Fudge. "You may go."**

**Mrs. Figg cast a frightened look from Fudge to Dumbledore, then got up and shuffled off towards the door. The loud thud made me jump, which shocked Harry's face away from my neck where he had fallen asleep.**

"**Not a very convincing witness," said Fudge loftily.**

"**Oh, I don't know," said Madam Bones, in her dry voice. "She certainly described the effects of a Dementor attack very accurately. And I can't imagine why she would say they were there if they weren't."**

"**But Dementors wandering into a Muggle suburb and just happening to come across a wizard?" snorted Fudge. "The odds on that must be very, very long. Even Bagman wouldn't have bet -"**

"**Oh, I don't think any of us believe the Dementors were there by coincidence," said Dumbledore lightly.**

**The witch sitting to the right of Fudge, with her face in shadow, moved slightly but everyone else was quite still and silent. Her even moving at all led me to believe that she was the one who did it. **

"**And what is that supposed to mean?" Fudge asked icily.**

"**It means that I think they were ordered there," said Dumbledore.**

"**I think we might have a record of it if someone had ordered a pair of Dementors to go strolling through Little Whinging!" barked Fudge.**

"**Not if the Dementors are taking orders from someone other than the Ministry of Magic these days," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have already given you my views on this matter, Cornelius."**

"**Yes, you have"' said Fudge forcefully, "and I have no reason to believe that your views are anything other than bilge, Dumbledore. "The Dementors remain in place in Azkaban and are doing everything we ask them to."**

"**Then," said Dumbledore, quietly but clearly, "we must ask ourselves why somebody within the Ministry ordered a pair of Dementors into that alleyway on the second of August."**

**In the complete silence that greeted these words, the witch to the right of Fudge leaned forwards so that I saw her for the first time. I thought she looked just like a large, pale toad. She was rather squat with a broad, flabby face, as little neck as Harry's uncle and a very wide, slack mouth. Her eyes were large, round and slightly bulging. Even the little black velvet bow perched on top of her short curly hair reminded me of a large fly she was about to catch on a long, sticky tongue. She was disturbingly ugly.**

"**The Chair recognizes Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," said Fudge.**

**The witch spoke in a fluttery, girlish, high-pitched voice that made me jump; I genuinely had been expecting a croak.**

"**I'm sure I must have misunderstood you, Professor Dumbledore," she said, with a simper that left her big, round eyes as cold as ever. "So silly of me. But it sounded for a teensy moment as though you were suggesting that the Ministry of Magic had ordered an attack on this boy!"**

**She gave a silvery laugh that made me want to punch her.**

**A few other members of the Wizengamot laughed with her. It could not have been plainer that not one of them was really amused. I laughed with them, which made Harry pinch my side, causing me to give a little shriek.**

"**If it is true that the Dementors are taking orders only from the Ministry of Magic, and it is also true that two Dementors attacked Harry and his cousin a week ago, then it follows logically that somebody at the Ministry might have ordered the attacks," said Dumbledore politely. "Of course, these particular Dementors may have been outside Ministry control -"**

"**There are no Dementors outside Ministry control!" snapped Fudge, who had turned brick red. Dumbledore inclined his head in a little bow.**

"**Then undoubtedly the Ministry will be making a full inquiry into why two Dementors were so very far from Azkaban and why they attacked without authorization."**

"**It is not for you to decide what the Ministry of Magic does or does not do, Dumbledore!" snapped Fudge, now a shade of magenta of which Harry's aforementioned uncle would have been proud.**

"**Of course it isn't," said Dumbledore mildly. "I was merely expressing my confidence that this matter will not go uninvestigated."**

**He glanced at Madam Bones, who readjusted her monocle and stared back at him, frowning slightly.**

"**I would remind everybody that the behavior of these Dementors, if indeed they are not figments of this boy's imagination, is not the subject of this hearing!" said Fudge. "We are here to examine Harry Potter's offences under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery!"**

"**Of course we are," said Dumbledore, "but the presence of Dementors in that alleyway is highly relevant. Clause Seven of the Decree states that magic may be used before Muggles in exceptional circumstances, and as those exceptional circumstances include situations which threaten the life of the wizard or witch him - or herself, or any witches, wizards or Muggles present at the time of the –"**

"**We are familiar with Clause Seven, thank you very much!" snarled Fudge.**

"**Of course you are," said Dumbledore courteously. "Then we are in agreement that Harry's use of the Patronus Charm in these circumstances falls precisely into the category of exceptional circumstances the clause describes?"**

"**If there were Dementors, which I doubt."**

"**You have heard it from an eyewitness," Dumbledore interrupted. "If you still doubt her truthfulness, call her back, question her again. I am sure she would not object."**

"**I - that - not -" blustered Fudge, fiddling with the papers before him. "It's - I want this over with today, Dumbledore!"**

"**But naturally, you would not care how many times you heard from a witness, if the alternative was a serious miscarriage of justice," said Dumbledore.**

"**Serious miscarriage, my hat!" said Fudge at the top of his voice. "Have you ever bothered to tot up the number of cock-and-bull stories this boy has come out with, Dumbledore, while trying to cover up his flagrant misuse of magic out of school? I suppose you've forgotten the Hover Charm he used three years ago -"**

**"Is this even about me anymore?" The sensation of his mouth on my neck making me shiver, which made him grin.**

"**YOU SEE," roared Fudge, gesturing flamboyantly in Harry's direction. "A house-elf! In a Muggle house!" Uh- oh. I could tell by how he shifted that he knew he forgot some lines.**

"**The house-elf in question is currently in the employ of Hogwarts School," said Dumbledore. "I can summon him here in an instant to give evidence if you wish."**

"**I - not - I haven't got time to listen to house-elves! Anyway, that's not the only - he blew up his aunt, for God's sake!" Fudge shouted, banging his fist on the judge's bench and upsetting a bottle of ink.**

"**And you very kindly did not press charges on that occasion, accepting, I presume, that even the best wizards cannot always control their emotions," said Dumbledore calmly, as Fudge attempted to scrub the ink off his notes.**

"**And I haven't even started on what he gets up to at school."**

"**But, as the Ministry has no authority to punish Hogwarts students for misdemeanors at school, Harry's behavior there is not relevant to this hearing," said Dumbledore, as politely as ever, but now with a suggestion of coolness behind his words.**

"**Oho!" said Fudge. "Not our business what he does at school, eh? You think so?"**

"**The Ministry does not have the power to expel Hogwarts students, Cornelius, as I reminded you on the night of the second of August," said Dumbledore. "Nor does it have the right to confiscate wands until charges have been successfully proven; again, as I reminded you on the night of the second of August. In your admirable haste to ensure that the law is upheld, you appear, inadvertently I am sure, to have overlooked a few laws yourself."**

"**Laws can be changed," said Fudge savagely.**

"Burn," I couldn't help but say. This 'hearing' was very entertaining.

"**Of course they can," said Dumbledore, inclining his head. "And you certainly seem to be making many changes, Cornelius. Why, in the few short weeks since I was asked to leave the Wizengamot, it has already become the practice to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of underage magic!"**

**A few of the wizards above them shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Fudge turned a slightly deeper shade of puce. The toad like witch on his right, however, merely gazed at Dumbledore, her face quite expressionless.**

"**As far as I am aware," Dumbledore continued, "there is no law yet in place that says this court's job is to punish Harry for every bit of magic he has ever performed. He has been charged with a specific offence and he has presented his defense. All he and I can do now is to await your verdict."**

**Dumbledore put his fingertips together again and said no more. Fudge glared at him, evidently incensed. Dumbledore continued to look up at the benches where the entire Wizengamot had fallen into urgent, whispered conversations.**

**Then the whispering stopped. I started tapping a beat on Harry's arms that were wrapped tightly around my waist, his face back to nuzzling my neck.**

"**Those in favor of clearing the witness of all charges?" said Madam Bones' booming voice.**

**Fudge raised his hand; so did half a dozen others, including the witch on his right and the heavily-moustached wizard and the frizzy-haired witch in the second row. Fudge glanced around at them all, looking as though there was something large stuck in his throat, then lowered his own hand. He took two deep breaths and said, in a voice distorted by suppressed rage, "Very well, very well… cleared of all charges."**

"**Excellent," said Dumbledore briskly, springing to his feet, pulling out his wand and causing the two chintz armchairs to vanish. "Well, I must be getting along. Good-day to you all." And without looking once at Harry, he swept from the dungeon. He plays his part well.**

**(~)_(~)**

**"Why would they take those books so seriously? Can't Voldemort just win like that?" I looked at Harry's outline on the bed from across Dev, my leg rubbing his calves.**

**"Yeah, but Voldemort probably doesn't think that there are people not following the Ministry or Dumbledore. That's a weakness since he doesn't know that we've already destroyed all of his horcruxes, including the one in my head. We're already a step ahead of him."**

**I yawned as I talked. "That's good. Night. He chuckled and kissed my forehead.**

**"Goodnight, love," he answered as I slipped into unconsciousness.**

**I just wanted to say that even though I used a lot of the original story in this chapter (which I will probably continue to do) I still don't own the Harry Potter series, seeing as I'm a teenaged girl.**


End file.
